Proposals to turn Edgbaston housing estate into ‘gated community’ refused - here's why

Proposals to turn an Edgbaston housing estate into a ‘gated community’ have been refused despite sympathy for the residents living there.

Those behind the plans wanted two access gates installed along Wicket Drive and Bowler Road to stop motorists using it as a ‘cut-through’.

One resident, who spoke at a Birmingham planning committee meeting, said the gates would address “several critical issues” affecting the security and quality of the lives of people within the community.

He claimed cars were speeding through the estate, which is sandwiched between the busy City Road and Rotten Park Road, and “mounting pavements trying to find a shortcut.”

An application form states that the access gates would be operated by a key fob, sensor, or keypad by residents from the existing residential housing estate and is required to prevent vehicles using the estate as a cut-through.

Letters of support also suggested the proposal would improve safety and security from unauthorised access. However, a recently-published report pointed to numerous issues, including potential harm to mature trees and highway safety.

It also stated that the gates, around 2.1 metres in height, would appear as “incongruous anomalies” which would be out of character within the open nature of the surrounding roads and highway network.

“Furthermore, the gates would result in the closure of two roads creating a gated community which would in effect isolate members of the general public from accessing it,” it went on to say.

The report continued that a Birmingham planning document states that “gated forms of development will not normally be acceptable”.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Gareth Moore said he had a “lot of sympathy” for the residents on the estate.

“I appreciate the frustration of having people cutting through your estate in order to avoid having to go down main busy roads,” he said. And I can understand the crime and safety concerns as well.

“But I don’t think gated communities is the answer unfortunately and there needs to be other ways to try and address those concerns.”

Cllr David Barker also said he was “really sympathetic” before adding: “Bearing that in mind, I think the problem here is the solution proposed – it would create more problems.

“It doesn’t solve all the issues we’re looking at but I do think there’s very valid concerns.”

The council officer at the meeting reiterated that the reasons for refusal were the “detrimental” impact on highway safety; the potential impact on protected trees and visual harm, as well as the creation of a gated community. 

On security, he acknowledged “crime and the fear of crime” are material considerations but added that officers ultimately concluded that the benefits do not outweigh the harm. 

The report also stated the proposed gates are both in close proximity to the corner junctions of two busy main roads.

“Concern is therefore raised regarding vehicles, particularly larger vehicles waiting for the gates to open, and the potential over-hang from larger vehicles extending back onto busy main roads, which would cause queuing and congesting issues,” it said.

It continued: “There is no evidence that consideration has been given to the installation of street calming measures to reduce the likelihood of the development’s roads being used as a cut through, or consideration of other less harmful measures to increase security to residents”.

The application was unanimously refused by Birmingham City Council’s planning committee on Thursday, July 11.